Ask Ollie
Night Sky Star Hopping
Here's one to try together!
Follow the Big Dipper to the North Star, then draw your very own star map with Ollie!
Reviewed by our team.
Safety first
- being outdoors in the dark requires constant adult supervision
- risk of tripping or getting lost in low light
- screens and bright lights ruin night vision
What you need
- Paper, 1 sheet of dark paper
- Crayons or markers, 1 white crayon or pencil
- Flashlight, 1
- Thin cloth or red paper, 1 piece, to cover the flashlight
- Clipboard or book, 1
How to do it
Grown-up prep: Pick a clear night and a spot away from bright lights, like a yard or park. Stay with your family the whole time, since it is dark and the ground can be uneven.
- Carry your paper, crayon and dim flashlight outside with a grown-up.
- Switch off the light and let your eyes get used to the dark.
- Look north and find the Big Dipper, a giant spoon in the sky.
- Find the two stars on the front edge of the cup.
- Draw an invisible line through the pointers and hop five gaps upward.
- Spot the North Star at the end of your line.
- Look across the North Star to find the W of Cassiopeia.
- Draw the stars you found on your dark paper with the white crayon.
- Show your map to someone, or hop to a new star pattern!
Play it again
- Star teacher: show a friend or grown-up how to find the North Star in three steps.
- Different hour: come back an hour later and see how the Big Dipper has turned around the North Star.
- Make your own: invent a name and story for a star pattern you spot, then draw it on a new sheet.
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